Middleton Parish Church School

Inspection of Middleton Parish Church School Springfield Road, Middleton, Manchester M24 5DL

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 January 2025

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Inadequate Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 29 and 30 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Middleton Parish Church School is a happy place to learn and play. Pupils uphold the school’s values and see these as important reminders of how they should act. Pupils have an impressive knowledge of what makes people different. They wholeheartedly believe that everyone should be treated with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for the achievement of those pupils who are taught on the school site. However, these expectations are not lived out fully in pupils’ day-to-day experiences. This is because the design and delivery of the curriculum is variable.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a poor oversight of the arrangements for when pupils’ learning takes place at an alternative provision. The school does not share information about the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It does not make sure that the curriculum that pupils learn is matched to their needs. It also fails to make regular checks on the progress that pupils make through the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of pupils behave well. However, the expectations of how pupils should behave are inconsistent. This means that some pupils do not behave as they should. This disturbs the learning of others.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school, including the governing body, does not have enough oversight of its effectiveness. It has not checked that pupils who attend alternative provision are safe, nor has it made sure that pupils can learn all that they should. In addition, the school does not evaluate its improvement work sufficiently well. This means it does not have a clear enough understanding of what is working well and what needs further improvement.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has taken steps to improve the curriculum. It has started to map out what pupils will learn and when this will happen in some subjects, including English and mathematics. However, in other subjects, the most important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember is not clear. This means that teachers do not have the guidance that they need to know what they should teach and when this should happen. The systems to check on pupils’ learning are underdeveloped. Consequently, pupils develop gaps in their learning and do not remember as much as they should.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Staff receive training that enables them to identify pupils with SEND. Pupils’ needs are identified well. However, at times, this information is not used to help pupils to learn with success. This means that pupils can find their learning too difficult.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Reading has a high profile across the school. Pupils enjoy recommending books for others to read. Children in the Nursery Year gain the speaking and listening skills that they need to begin the phonics programme with enthusiasm in the Reception class. There is now a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Staff develop the knowledge and expertise that they need to give them a strong understanding of how to teach the phonics programme. Pupils read books that match the sounds that they know. This helps them to 29 and 30 January 2025

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become confident and fluent readers. The school shares useful information with parents about their approach to early reading.

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Children in the early years get off to a positive start with their learning because staff understand their needs well. The curriculum in early years is well considered. The school has thought carefully about what children will learn and when this will happen. This supports children to build on what they already know. Staff have a secure understanding of how young children learn. They skilfully ask children questions that deepen their understanding or encourage them to be curious. Children leave the early years with the thirst for learning that they need to approach their next steps with confidence.

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Pupils have a deep understanding about how different people live. They use this to find ways to make sure everyone in the school community feels welcome and valued. Pupils make valuable contributions to their local community in a range of ways. For example, some pupils took part in a road safety project and presented their ideas to the local council. Pupils participate in a wealth of activities to develop their talents and interests. For example, they have musical instrument lessons and opportunities to perform to audiences. The wider development offer that pupils receive helps them to be well prepared for their next steps.

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Some pupils do not behave well enough in lessons. They do not follow teachers’ instructions and disrupt the learning of others. Many pupils are frequently absent from school. Although the school has put some strategies in place to improve attendance and pupils’ conduct, these have not been completely successful.

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A significant majority of parents and carers recommend the school. They acknowledge how leaders’ actions have led to improvements in some areas of school life. Most staff agree that leaders are supportive and that leaders consider staff well-being and value the steps that the school has taken to reduce their workload. However, some staff do not feel that the school supports them well enough in managing pupils’ behaviour. Staff have little confidence in the school’s systems for managing behaviour and feel that this affects their well-being negatively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not maintain appropriate oversight of pupils that attend alternative provision. It does not make sure that pupils access a well-designed offer that supports their learning, development and welfare. The school should make sure that it evaluates the quality and suitability of any alternative provision that pupils attend. 29 and 30 January 2025

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 The school, including the governing body, does not check its work, including pupils’ behaviour and attendance, sufficiently well. This means that it does not know what is working well and what requires further refinement. The school should ensure that it evaluates its work to bring about improvement so that actions have the desired impact. The governing body should use this information to hold the school to account for its work.  The curriculum is not designed well enough across all subjects. This means that teachers are not clear about what should be taught and when this should happen. Consequently, pupils, including those with SEND, develop gaps in their knowledge as they move through the year groups. The school should identify and order the most important knowledge across all subjects.  The school does not use strategies to check on what pupils have remembered sufficiently well. This means that some gaps in learning are not spotted or remedied.

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The school should develop assessment systems that accurately pinpoint pupils’ gaps in knowledge and support them to know and remember more over time.  Some pupils do not behave as well as they should. Many pupils are regularly absent from school. This means that their learning and the learning of others is disrupted. The school should refine its approach to pupils’ behaviour and attendance so that pupils’ attendance improves, and instances of poor behaviour reduce.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 29 and 30 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.middletonparishce.rochdale.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 and 31 March 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Manchester. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in April 2024. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place in the 2028/29 academic year.  The headteacher and the deputy headteacher have joined the school since the previous inspection.  The school uses two unregistered alternative provisions.  The school has a nursery with provision for three-year-olds.  There is an on-site before- and after-school club that is run by the school.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 29 and 30 January 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. In addition, the lead inspector met with members of the governing body as well as a representative of the local authority. An inspector spoke to a representative from the diocese on the telephone.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and art and design. They met with subject leaders and with teachers. Inspectors visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning.  An inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspectors analysed school documentation, including leaders’ evaluations and plans for improvement. The inspector scrutinised a range of policies and procedures, including those that relate to the curriculum, SEND, safeguarding and behaviour.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text comments.  An inspector spoke with staff to gather their views on the school and evaluated responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey. Inspectors also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.

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 An inspector visited one of the alternative provisions that the school uses.

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Inspection team

Jane Dennis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephanie Swift Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 January 2025

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Helen Friend His Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 January 2025

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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